Perhaps
more important was how well the whole package presented itself to Jambo's
owner, Jerry Bogert. On the plus side, watching (and helping) him get
familiar with the 951, I could literally see how Northstar has earned
its reputation for intuitive interfaces. He seemed to rapidly make sense
of the basic key layout and boldly labeled soft key menus. By the trip's
end, he was creating named waypoints and putting together routes, and
we had to consult the manual only once. The Simrad was another story.
Soft keys work well to walk a user through a menu system, but the RA41
started off with 15 of them. When I got about halfway through explaining
each of their functions, Bogert rolled his eyes and asked me to stop--information
overload!

After
the trip I learned that the RA41 has extensive interface customization
capability and could have been--make that should have been--set
up to be less intimidating to an inexperienced user. For instance, those
15 soft keys could be reduced to a more reasonable five. I snooped out
a number of other tweaks that could make the whole system more owner-friendly.
Last year Northstar issued a firmware update that enables chart rotation
on the 951; course-up mode will make the limited chart screen easier to
read and to orient with the radar image. More precious plotter real estate
could be acquired by moving data, like waypoint bearing and distance,
from the plotter via NMEA to the radar's ample and beautiful, ten-inch
screen.

So the
situation aboard Jambo was one I'd seen too often: great electronics
and an intelligent user who could all use a little help to establish the
safest and most comfortable relationship possible. I don't want
to exaggerate this issue--in fact, I know that Bogert has done some
successful, even enjoyable, deep-fog route running since our delivery--but
I do think that the so-called MMI (man-machine interface) is a tough nut
and a pretty big deal. Manufacturers are at work on the problem, but they
also keep coming up with irresistible new technologies that further complicate
things. Check this month's "Electronics Q&A" to
see how much DSC--potentially convenient and even life-saving though
it may be--has added to the intricacy of VHF radio setup and usage.

A number
of production boat dealers these days go to some pains setting up, then
helping orient, a new owner to his electronics package. Bogert should
have gotten the same service, but it's understandably rare in the
world of small yards. I think he understands and is happy with his head-turning
vessel and a building process that included farewells from builder and
designer on a Rockland dock at 6 a.m. But I do hope that he gets an electronics
expert in his home waters to do the sort of fine-tuning described above,
perhaps even to go out on trials and stay on top of upgrades yet to come.
Until we get the MMI nut truly cracked, a lot of boaters could make good
use of a personal electronics trainer.

Ben
Ellison has been a delivery captain and navigation instructor for nearly
30 years and was recently editor of Reed's Nautical Almanacs.